FOUNTAIN VALLEY — The Los Amigos boys basketball team has steadily grown as a program and transitioned from the hunted to the hunter.
The Lobos beat Western 53-46 on Friday night to win the Coast League championship at Los Amigos High.
Los Amigos (19-7, 7-0) claimed its third consecutive league title with coach DeAndre Ferguson, who is in his fourth season at the helm.
The Lobos have one league game remaining, against Santiago on Tuesday, before the postseason begins.
“It’s great, man,” Ferguson said. “It’s hard to keep doing it, knowing that before we were an underdog and now you got a target on your back.”
“I tell them every time, come in here like you’re still the underdog,” he added. “So, they came here, they worked and they’re a great team. The senior leadership we have this year is great.”
Los Amigos seniors Mekhi Belote and Philip Steinert led the way to victory.
Belote scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds while Steinert finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds, including clutch back-to-back jumpers in the fourth quarter that helped hold Western at bay.
Both players eclipsed 1,000 points for their career this season, and Ferguson credits the duo for helping set a standard for the program.
“They trusted the process and they’re loyal.” he said of the duo. “I gave them the tools, but they had to learn how to use them. You need players like that to set the example, to be disciplined like this on the court and off the court. And their hard work over the years has shown, man, it’s shown. Down the stretch, we know who to go to.”
The Lobos also got some nice production from their bench as they scored 17 points as a group and defensively Marc Basallo and Dennis Smith made an impact.
Western (10-16, 6-2) took a 19-18 lead at the end of the first quarter thanks to a 3-pointer by Shayden Rodriguez.
Omar Flores and Rodriguez each scored 17 points for the Pioneers while Kalani Tran added 10 points.
Ferguson believes this group can make a deep playoff run after losing to eventual CIF-SS champions (Santiago in 2025, Firebaugh in 2024) in back-to-back seasons.
“Job’s not done,” Ferguson said. “It takes a hard fight to get back in this gym and put your head down and work. But they bought into it and the sky’s the limit. You know, I think they’re ready for it.”